Isn't It Obvious
by Aria Azurestone
Summary: Zoë Taylor is a singer who decides to complete high school before she fully begins her career. She transfers into Domino HS and disguises herself so she can't be recognized and uses the alias Joey Wheeler. Now, the end of her Senior year is approaching and she has to prepare to go back to singing. Will she reveal her secret or forever hold her peace? [GENDERBENDING] S x J HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_[Note: This chapter takes place before the anime.]_

**Chapter One**

A young teen opened her eyes softly and smiled up at the ornate chandelier above her. She took in her surroundings, remembering she was no longer in her hometown city of Manhattan, but in Domino. She looked around her room as sunlight came in through the curtains.

The walls were a soft vanilla color with hand-painted light pink Sakura petals scattered all over. They were her favorite plant. The dresser on the far wall opposite the bed was the same color as the petals on the wall; it had a French look to it, with a large mirror attached. There was a night stand on each side of the bed with the same designs as the dresser and mirror. A matching armoire stood close to a window, the open cabinet blocking the rays of sunlight from hitting the girl's face as she sat up.

She pealed the pink satin sheets off of her and stood up, stretching deliciously. Quickly putting her slippers on, she made her way along the off-white, carpeted floor to the bathroom across the hall and looked at herself in the mirror.

She washed her face and teeth before slipping into the shower. She hummed contentedly with her eyes closed as the warm water made its way into her long, brown hair. She scrubbed her brunette locks and spread body wash soothingly onto her skin, making sure to rinse. Soon after, she stepped out. She put her baby blue bathrobe on over her bra and underwear and began blow-drying her hair.

After she deemed her hair dry and silky, she went back into her room and opened the armoire's other cabinet door, pulling out a plain, white t-shirt and a matching blue jacket and pants. It was the boy's uniform at Domino High. She, then, carefully took out the blond wig she'd been carefully making sure wouldn't get tangled. She wasn't exactly sure why she'd chosen blond hair, but there was no turning back now.

Slowly adjusting the wig on her head, she made sure none of her dark hair was visible underneath it. She then brushed it and styled it to her liking. She quickly grabbed her make up purse and took out yellow, tan, and gold eye shadow. Carefully, she applied a combination of each to her eyebrows, attempting to match the color of them with her wig. She had heard this was the best way to make it look natural—and if the outcome was any indication, it was true. She pulled away from the mirror and stared at herself. It had worked.

She disrobed and slipped the uniform on. Still looking at herself in the mirror, she frowned. _It's so obvious_, she thought to herself. _How am I supposed to hide my boobs?_ She looked down at herself. _Duct tape?_ She cringed at the thought of taping her boobs down. It would really hurt getting that off after school. _Ugh! Why didn't I think about this before today?! I can be so stupid sometimes!_

She wasn't _too_ big. Maybe it could be overlooked, just for today and then after school she could find something to help cover her chest. Nodding to herself, she checked her backpack and made her she had everything she'd need. Going over the list in her mind, she realized the eye contacts weren't as important; they were simply precautionary measures.

She wanted to be completely sure, though, so she quickly headed back into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink, grabbing and opening the container with the lenses inside. They weren't to better her eyesight. Her sight was perfectly fine. They were simply cosmetic. Placing the contact backwards on her finger, she slipped a brown contact into each eye, hiding the natural emerald color.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't even recognize herself. _Zoë Taylor is no more. Time for Joseph Wheeler to come forth._

The now-blond turned, going back into the room, and looked at the clock on her night stand. There were still thirty minutes until school started. She would walk, but she wasn't sure how to get there by foot just yet. So instead, she was going to be driven there; however, she was being dropped off a block away so as not to arouse suspicion. She was in disguise, after all. If she wanted to be treated normally, she couldn't let the other students know anything about her personal life.

She moved her money and ID from her purse to the wallet she had purchased a few days previous. Finishing, she let herself lay down on the bed and took everything in.

_So this is it. My first day of high school. Good thing I'm here for the first day of the year, otherwise I'd be getting more attention for being a transfer student. At least, this way, I just look like a newcomer since it's my freshman year. I'm just hoping I can keep this secret for four years. I can only hope._

_I wonder if I should bother making friends. I mean, it's not like I'm going to keep them. I don't want really friends. If anything, I'd rather be someone people wouldn't dare approach either because they're afraid of me or because they don't like me. There's no way I'm letting one walk all over me._

_Anyway, I don't even know if anyone will buy my disguise. Do I really look like a normal teenaged boy?_

She sat up and looked at herself in the mirror from her seated position. Sure, she could easily be mistaken for a boy, but because she knew it was her, she could tell how girly she looked. _Isn't it obvious?_

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was just obvious to her.

* * *

The scenery slowly went by as she dreamily looked out the car window. She was still getting used to the different environment and if she wanted to remember her way around, especially to walk to school on her own, she had to memorize everything. She made it clear to her chauffeur that she only wanted to be dropped off like this for the first week of school while she got herself acquainted with the streets and buildings. She'd also call if she wanted to be picked up quickly or if it was too cold to walk, which wouldn't be for another two months or so.

She felt the car slow down and she took her seatbelt off.

"If you keep walking straight down this road, Zoë, the high school will be on the right side, just a block away. Here's your class schedule." The older man in the driver's seat passed back a few papers. "Be careful."

She smiled. "Don't worry, Leo. I'll be just fine." She opened the door. "Thanks for driving me. See you after school." She waved and stepped out, walking on.

She was grateful for having such a loving staff. Everyone who worked for her always took care of her as if she was their own child and she appreciated it. Her chauffeur, Leonard, was the one she trusted the most. He was almost like a father to her. While Leo was still just her manager, he had offered to adopt her, but her agency didn't allow it. After that, they allowed him to be her chauffeur and take care of her when she moved to Domino. In other words, he was her adoptive father without the official papers. He still managed her, but with her deciding to go to school first—and the agency being paranoid something horrible might happen to her—he became her unofficial guardian.

She skipped her way past a stray dog that had been limping down the sidewalk, but then she stopped, remembering something. A boy skipping down the sidewalk wasn't very… masculine. If any of her classmates saw her, they'd think she was gay or something.

She had to remember she was dressed like a boy. _Have to act like a guy. But I don't know how they walk! Ugh, why didn't I just dye my hair and cut it a bit and stay a girl?! This is not going to work! I gotta remember to refer to myself as guy, too!_

Feeling himself getting nervous, he continued to the school's entrance gate. He made himself calm down. _Hopefully I'll just look really scared for my first day of high school ever._ He decided to put on a 'tough guy' act and strut his way into the school and through the hallway. He found his locker and opened it, dumping his bag in there and taking out nothing but a pencil. _It's the first day, what will we do except for introduce ourselves and get our textbooks?_

As he shut his locker, he felt someone bump into him. Annoyed, he looked as the brunet perpetrator briskly walked past with a smirk on his face. _Ugh! The first day of school and I already have some idiot bumping into me! Learn to walk, dumbass!_

He found his classroom and sat in the third row at a desk next to the window. It was a simple classroom with one wall completely taken over by a view of the back patio where students could go to have lunch. The walls were a faded periwinkle blue with white trimming the windows. The teacher's desk was tan—a computer resting upon it—with the chair behind it being the same color.

Shortly after he sat down, more insecure students filed in and the bell rang. The teacher walked in and set his things on the desk. He was bordering five feet tall. His hair was black and he wore a knitted vest over a striped shirt and a pair of black jeans. He could easily be mistaken for a student had he been wearing a school uniform.

He grabbed a marker and started writing his name on the white board. _Mr. Hanjo._

"Hello, class. I'm Mr. Hanjo. Not Mr. Handjob, not Mr. Banjo. Mr. Hanjo. Anyone dumb enough to give me any smart remarks or say anything on the subject of my name will earn him or her detention for a week. Do I make myself clear?"

The class nodded in-synch.

"Now then…" he began, "since it's the first day of school, you won't have any homework." There were collective sighs of relief throughout the room. "But, in exchange, each one of you is going to stand up and introduce yourselves." Collective groans. The teacher chuckled. "If you're going to be spending the next year together, you might as well start making friends now. But first, let me introduce myself properly. As you know, I'm Mr. Hanjo. I lived in the Philippines, teaching English for six years before I came to this school three years ago. I studied at UCLA, majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. Now… who shall we start with? Any volunteers?"

Everyone looked around at each other, expecting someone to get up. Suddenly, there was the sound of metallic chair legs grinding against the tile floor.

"Zo—I mean…" The disguised girl began. He cleared his throat, remembering to sound like a guy. "Joey Wheeler." The boy grinned at the teacher.

"Hi, Mr. Wheeler. What school are you coming from?" Mr. Hanjo asked.

"I… er, came from… middle school." The blond grinned mischievously. "Didn't we all?"

The class laughed. Mr. Hanjo's eyes narrowed. _Class clown, I see._ "Thank you, Mr. Wheeler. Take your seat." _Perhaps ignoring him will make him see how pointless it is._ "Anyone else?"

"Hn." A tall brunet stood up. _I'd rather get up myself instead of being told to._ Scowling, he began, "I'm Seto Kaiba. I run the multi-million dollar company you all know as Kaiba Corporation. I also have come here from Middle School." He sat back down and took out a book to read.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba." _It's best I ignore him, too. I don't need a reason for him to sue me or have me lose my job._ Kaiba looked up from his page and smirked at the teacher, almost as if he knew what Mr. Hanjo had been thinking.

No one else seemed to get up. "All right then. Since there doesn't seem to be any more volunteers, I'll have you go row by row starting at the end."

After everyone went around, introducing themselves to students who really didn't care, the teacher went to the back of the classroom and opened the cupboards. "These are this year's textbooks. Please, one at a time, come and take a textbook."

All but two gathered by the teacher.

"Thanks, class, the line really helps a lot." He said sarcastically. Joey laughed quietly. The brunet looked at him strangely.

* * *

It was now lunch time. Joey found himself staring at the whole cafeteria. Holding his tray of food, he looked around, searching for an empty table. _Better to be alone than with bad company,_ he thought. _And since I've yet to make a friend, I guess that's how it's going to be.  
_

He spotted a table at the other end of the room and made his way there. Making sure it was clean first, he sat down and started eating. Half way through his meal, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. It was a brunet boy with pointy hair, he recognized, from Gym class.

"Hey, I saw ya sitting over here by yourself. Mind if I sit here with ya?" He asked.

The blond shrugged. "I don't care." He resumed eating.

"I don't remember seeing ya in Junior High. Are ya from another school?" The other boy asked with a mouth full of food. The blond stared at him, disgusted. "Oh," The other began again, "I'm Tristan." He held out his hand.

The blond stared at the dirty hand and said, "Joey."

"I just joined the Clean-Up Committee." Tristan announced proudly. "I'm aiming to be the Head of it as Beautification Officer."

_Great, he's a nerd._ "Interesting," Joey remarked sarcastically. He threw a plastic wrapper to the floor. "Does that mean you're duty is to pick that up for me?" A light smirk played on his lips.

Tristan glared, but then sighed. "Sadly, yeah." He doubled over and grabbed the litter from under the table. He stood up and threw it in the trash bin and sat back down at Joey's table. _So much for being alone and not with bad company,_ thought Joey tartly.

"Listen, being a freshman doesn't mean ya can't have fun. How about after school, we go to the arcade or something? I bet there'll be chicks there to hit on. Maybe we can get one to mess around with." Tristan winked.

_Ew. This guy's a disgusting nerd with perverted tendencies. How much worse can it possibly get?_ Joey shook his head. "Sorry, can't. My dad is picking me up and I have stuff to do."

"Picking ya up? I thought everyone walked to school." The brunet inquired, his head cocking to the side curiously.

_Curiosity killed the cat_, the blond thought bitterly. He was really getting annoyed now with all the talking. "I don't know the city enough to walk to school yet," sneered Joey. "In the meantime, he's bringing me."

"Where do you live?"

_Aren't you a bit nosy today?_ "I live in Domino." The blond felt his teeth clench together.

"No, I meant. What part of town? I live over on Elk Avenue. Not all fancy-shmancy, but it's better than that run-down red light district," rambled the brunet.

"And if I lived in that part of town?" Joey only wanted to see if Tristan would go away. He really had no idea where the other was referring to; his apartment was in the richer areas of Domino.

"You're a thug?" Tristan asked.

"And what if I am?" He spoke through clenched teeth now, seriously irritated. _Does he ever stop talking?!_

"Dude! I've never known anyone in a gang before! Which gang are you in? Are you part of Gammon High's gang?"

"I'm in the 'fuck you' gang." Joey deadpanned.

"So—"

"Will you shut up?! Sheesh! I'm trying to eat, man. Shut up or fuck off!" The shouts caused the entire cafeteria to become silent. Everyone stared at them.

Joey stood up angrily and stormed out, leaving his tray of food on the table. _That pervert can clean up after me._ He entered the boys' bathroom. A grin plastered onto his face. The thought of Tristan having to clean up after him was enough to make up for his game of 20 Questions. _Like a little servant._

He entered a stall and did his business. Finishing, he came out and washed his hands, staring at himself in the mirror the whole time. Checking his schedule, he walked out and made his way to where his next class would be. _So far, _he thought to himself, _it hasn't been obvious._

* * *

The first day of school would have been all right had it not been for that annoying guy. _Tristan, I think was his name._ _Stupid idiot wouldn't leave me alone even after the scene I caused in the cafeteria. Did he really have to be in my last two classes?! Ugh._

He wasn't the only one who annoyed her today. There was that little runt, Yugi. _Such a little kid in high school? If he can't show his manliness with his height, he should make up for it with his personality. But no. That kid was as much of a baby as a newborn child was._

_That Kaiba guy is another guy I can't stand already. He thinks he's so high and mighty just because he's cute as hell? Who does he think he is? I wish I would have punched him when I wanted to._

Zoë relaxed herself on her bed. She had changed out of the uniform and now wore hot pink fitness pants and a white tank top. Her hair was now in a messy ponytail. For an hour, after she was home from school, she had decided to take her frustration out on the treadmill.

_Whatever. _She continued her thoughts. _The first day is always the worst one. Even though I didn't really make any friends, it doesn't mean I won't ever._

She recalled a line from somewhere, unsure where it had originated. "As long as you make at least one friend on the first day, you'll be fine," she recited.

Pfft. So much for that. _Then again, I probably look like the kind of guy who doesn't want to be bothered with people. And that's kind of true. Whether or not I make friends, it doesn't matter to me. They won't be hearing from me after I leave this place anyway._

The thought of knowing her future was a comfort. She didn't really have to focus on getting a certain score on her ACTs or SATs. Sure, she had to maintain certain grades to stay in the agency, but that was a piece of cake. She was smarter than she let on.

She found herself falling asleep, but then heard a knock on her door. "Come in."

The door opened. "Zoë?"

"Yeah, Leo? What is it?"

"I'm just checking up on you. You went straight to exercise when you got home. How did school go? Make any friends?" Leonard sat on the edge of her bed with a soft smile on his face.

She looked down. "No, not really. There was this Tristan guy who annoyed me to no end, though. He kept talking to me, even when I shouted at him not to. And then there was this other guy who's shorter than the lifespan of a mosquito. I swear, had he not been wearing the uniform, I would have thought he was one of the teacher's kids."

Leonard chuckled. "Surely, he skipped a few grades or something?"

"No, he's my age. I just don't get how he's so little. He's not a midget, he's just short. Really, really short. There's this other guy. Kaiba, I think was his name. He thinks himself a king, the prick."

Leonard couldn't hold his laughter in anymore. Zoë was just so amusing. "Any girl friends yet? You've only mentioned boys." His brow rose as he watched her.

"Of course I did. I'm dressed as a guy. I'm pretending to be a guy. Guys only hang around other guys unless they're horny. In which case, they go after 'chicks' as Tristan referred to us as. He just thinks we're a piece of ass. I can't stand him at all. There was one girl, but I think she only talked to me because she likes the boy I was pretending to be. Though, now I think about it, I'm going to have to date or flirt with girls so I seem more like a guy. I wouldn't want people thinking I'm a gay man or something."

"Does that mean your first kiss will be with another girl?" Leo mused.

"Oh my god, ew. I hope not. I'll try to avoid it as much as I can." She finally sat up. "Anyway, what's for dinner? I'm starving."

"I'm cooking your favorite." Leo answered, walking out the door. "Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo."

She hopped off the bed and headed toward the door, trailing behind him. She stopped just in front of her mirror first, comparing herself at that moment to her disguised-as-a-male counterpart.

_I guess it wasn't obvious._

* * *

_Author Note: This is my first ever gender-bending fic, so please tell me how I'm doing so far. Also, I apologize with the shortness and dullness of this chapter. It's mainly an introductory chapter. A prologue, if you will. The next chapter is much longer._


	2. Chapter 2

_[Note: From here on, everything in the anime has happened already.]_

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Zoë took off her blond wig and sighed. Tossing the wig onto the bed, she set her brunette locks free. _I'm so tired, I could sleep forever._ She quickly took a shower and put her robe on afterwards. Leo was out making sure her new album went along without any problems.

The end of her senior year at Domino was approaching and she needed to make sure she had something planned. She threw herself onto the bed and laid there. _Everyone else is going to college after this. I, on the other hand, will be going straight back into the agency. It's nice, knowing exactly what's going to happen. There's no worrying over whether I got into the college I wanted to or not._

_Getting my songs out there is important. I want to have at least one album out before I graduate. That way I have something to look forward to right after graduation._

_Ha." Graduation." With everything that's happened after the last four years, it's hard to believe we were even able to make it this far. We were almost killed multiple times. I gotta say, though… my friends have certainly made my life more interesting. I even got to go to Egypt! That sure was fun._

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her cell phone ringing. She moved over to the night stand and grabbed her phone. It was Yugi.

She flipped open the phone and answered, "Hey, Yuge. What's up?" She no longer had to remember to talk like Joey. It was second nature when it came to being around her friends.

"Just calling because I was thinking about going to your place. We could hang out eating popcorn and watch movies 'til we drop!" he chuckled. Zoë's eyes widened. Yugi had never asked to come over before. _I can't let him! He'll see my room and either figure out I'm a girl or thinking I'm a gay man!_

"Joey?"

"Yeah, umm… I'm sorry, Yuge. Can't. My dad… he doesn't let me have anyone over, ya know? Heh." She invented wildly, hoping he'd buy it.

"Oh…" he sounded disappointed. "that's fine, Joey." Guilt crept up into Zoë. _I know you think I'm being distant, but you can't know about me. I'm really sorry, Yugi._

"I can go to your place, though!" She suggested.

"Okay! We'll be expecting you!" Yugi's voice beamed. "I'll see you in an hour then?"

"Yeah, sure. See ya, Yuge." She hung up and exhaled. _That could've ended badly._

_True, Yugi is my best friend and I doubt he'd hate me if he ever found out about me, but still… the fact that I'm a girl should be a secret __**to everyone**__. It's not about concealing my identity from my friends. It's about concealing my identity from the world so I can be normal. Then again, how normal can my life be if I'm a girl who pretended to be a boy for all four years of her high school career?_

_Anyway, all I have is three months left. After that, I'm out of here. Back to New York._

* * *

Knock. Knock. Knock.

There were hurried footsteps rushing to the door. The door opened, revealing Yugi and his wide smile.

"You made it!" he shouted happily, hugging the newcomer.

"Of course I did, Yuge," Joey began, "I said I'd be here and I always keep my word."

"Except for that one time when ya said ya'd buy me lunch and I ended up paying for both of us." Tristan supplied. "By the way, ya still owe me five bucks."

Joey reddened. "I…" It was embarrassing to owe a friend money. Tristan simply laughed.

"Don't sweat, dude. I was just kidding with ya." He put his arm around Joey's shoulders, grinning. "Relax."

Still embarrassed, Joey took his jacket and shoes off and sat next to Tea, who had earphones in, listening to music. Noticing him, she paused her song and smiled. "Hey Joey, _you're_ into music." She began. Joey eyed her suspiciously. "Have you heard this girl before? She's getting really popular lately. I love her songs so much!"

She gave the earphones to Joey and he put them on. Tea restarted the song and he recognized it immediately. Attempting not to smile, he said, "I like it." This made Tea's expression brighten.

"I know, right? It's just awesome. The lyrics are so good, I wish I had written them myself! Her name is Zoë Taylor. Come to think of it…" She stared at Tristan. "Do you know her by any chance?"

Tristan looked up from the game on his cell phone and shook his head in response.

"Damn, I was sort of hoping you were related or something. Would have been nice to meet her." Tea said dreamily.

"Meet 'er?" Joey questioned. "For what?"

"Just to tell her how amazing her voice is and that I'm a big fan. I'd support her all the way until she becomes number one!" Joey couldn't help but smile. _Thanks, Tea._

"Aren't you getting a little carried away, Tea? I mean, she's just another grain of sand in the desert. There a tons of singers out there." Tristan pointed out. "Like, seriously, do you think she'll be that big with so much competition?" Joey pouted, but said nothing.

"You never know." Yugi said brightly. "Anyway, all the movies are on the shelf. Decide on one while I go make the popcorn, 'kay?" He got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Well, since Joey is such a big fan of zombie movies, how about one of those?" Tristan offered with a smirk. The blond visibly shrunk. He absolutely _hated_ Zombie movies.

"Anything but that." He pleaded. Tristan then decided to pretend to be a zombie, chasing Joey all over the living room. He got behind a couch, covered his ears, and forced his eyes shut. '_There's no such thing, there's no such thing, there's no such thing'_ was the mantra playing in Joey's mind.

"Tristan, stop tormenting Joey!" Yugi was back with a large bowl of popcorn and four cans of soda. How he managed to carry all of it was a mystery.

Joey's eyes gleamed with gratitude at Yugi as he got up and snatched popcorn out of the bowl before anyone could get to it. They all came together in front of the TV, watching Raise Your Voice. Tea had been the one who had ultimately decided because the boys kept getting distracted by their own conversations. Joey thought he'd heard her mumble "I need some female friends," which made Joey laugh at the irony.

So here they were, watching the end of the obvious chick-flick, and acting like manly men.

By crying.

It wasn't until the credits came on that Joey had realized he was humming along with the song Hilary Duff had just finished singing. He hoped beyond hopes that no one had noticed.

"I feel like going somewhere." Joey blurted.

"Hmm, want to go get ice cream and hang out in the park for a while?" Yugi suggested. "It's still bright enough out."

"That sounds like fun." Tea approved. "I've been craving ice cream for like a month." She giggled. "Pathetic, huh?"

"Nah," Joey smiled. "I've been craving it, too. Well then, let's go."

They left Yugi's house and headed for the ice cream parlor across the street from the park. The sun was still high enough in the sky that everything was bright and clear, but it was observably starting to set. The sky shone bright orange colors mixed with pink and blue.

"That's a painter's sky," commented Joey as he stared up at it. It was just so beautiful.

The others turned to him, having their frozen treats in their hands. "What do you mean, Joey?" Tea wondered. She licked her mint flavored ice cream.

"Well… I don't know how to explain it." He shrugged. "It's just there are so many pretty colors and details, it's the kind of challenge a painter likes. The ones who like painting landscapes really enjoy getting inspiration from the sky because of how hard it is to blend those kinds of colors and make them look like clouds are in there, too."

"Ya know a lot about painting. Do ya paint? I don't think I've ever seen ya paint before." Tristan sighed.

Joey grinned. "I wish. I'm just not that kind of artist." The double meaning didn't register with the others, which was good.

"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue-corn moon?

Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grins?

Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Tea sang softly. They let her. She wasn't great, but she wasn't horrible either. Joey had been tempted to join in, but stopped himself. Tea knew his voice. If he sang, he'd be found out on the spot.

"That was pretty good, Tea." Joey complimented. "You should think about going into the singing business." He didn't really mean it, but it was still a nice thing to say. Tea did have a nice voice, but it wasn't good enough to impress anyone.

"You think so? Nah, I prefer dancing." She twirled to prove her point.

They walked over to a tree and sat under it in silence, licking their ice creams. There were still children playing on the playground and parents watching over them. There was a man walking his dog on the side of the park and a woman riding her bike along the sidewalk. There were also two teenagers—one girl and one boy—holding hands and walking across the grass.

Then a certain brunet showed up, walking Mokuba over to get ice cream. Joey saw them and his heart beat a little quicker for two very different reasons.

One, he really hated Seto Kaiba.

Two, he really liked Seto Kaiba.

Joey fought the blush that was creeping onto his face. He tried to hide it with the strawberry ice cream. Noticing them, Mokuba ran over with his treat and smiled.

"Hi! Haven't seen you guys around for a while!" He licked his chocolate and vanilla twist. "How've you all been doing?"

"Just hanging out," answered Yugi brightly. "Want to sit with us?"

"I'm fine. Besides, Seto promised we'd go to the movies after this. Should be fun; we never go anywhere public like that!" Another lick.

"Have fun, Mokuba," chuckled Joey. Kaiba suddenly appeared right behind Mokuba with a sundae in his grasp. _You look kinda weird holding ice cream. It's like… it's too sweet a food to be seen in your presence or something. I kinda want to laugh._

"Mokuba, what'd I tell you about crossing the street like that? You could have gotten hurt." Kaiba sneered, but sighed. "Don't do it again."

"Sorry, Seto."

Kaiba turned to Joey, who just staring up at him curiously. _I hate how casually you look at me lately. _"So the mutt can hold an ice cream cone. Someone call the newspaper."

Joey stood up and growled. "Stop calling me a mutt, ya drug-addicted sex fiend!"

"I'm a… what?" Seto was caught off-guard. He hadn't expected that kind of insult from Joey. The blond smirked at him, making him glare back.

"Ya heard me! Well unless you're going deaf. In which case, I'll say it louder so you can hear me." Joey inhaled.

"Yugi, muzzle your dog before he gets put down." The brunet took Mokuba by his shoulder. "Come on, Mokuba, there's no need to be around these losers."

Joey exhaled. He wasn't done with Kaiba. "Who knew the great Seto Kaiba was afraid of a _puppy_?" He faced his friends and sat down, wearing a triumphant smirk on his face. _It's been a while since I've had the last word. It's nice._ Sighing, he let himself lean against the tree and closed his eyes.

He suddenly felt himself pulled upward and into the tree hard. The force caused him to drop the strawberry treat. He opened his eyes to find Kaiba face-to-face with him.

"Listen, _Mutt_," the word was full of hatred and disgust. "I'm not afraid of anyone. _Anyone._ So unless you want to live your life unable to touch yourself at night, I suggest shutting that ugly trap of yours you call a mouth and never speak a word against me in my presence for the rest of your pathetic life… or else. You got that?"

Joey looked at him in the eyes. He wasn't afraid of Kaiba. Why would he be? Kaiba was all bark and no bite. It was ironic, really. _Kaiba calls me a dog when he's the one whose foot fits the shoe._ _I really hate that he hates me, though. As long as I'm dressed as a boy, he's not going to think of me in any way except as the target of his hatred. He's not going to look at me in a romantic way at all. _Bringing himself out of his thoughts, he simply shrugged.

Kaiba saw the look his blond rival was giving him. It was strange, but he thought he saw a flash of sadness in the other's eyes. He let him go instantly and walked back to Mokuba, who was waiting a few yards away. They left with not another word.

"You kinda asked for that one, Joey." Tristan said. "I don't know why you—"

"Thanks for the help, man." The blond interrupted. "I appreciate it." He gathered himself and looked at his friends. "I've got stuff to do. See you all later." He smiled at them before running down the street, not waiting for their responses.

_I have a plan._

* * *

Joey quickly made it to his apartment and practically disrobed on his way to his room. Luckily, Leo wasn't there for the exhibition. The blond hair came off and was discarded onto the bed. Zoë let her brunette tresses fall and ruffled it up a bit so it wouldn't be flat. She quickly went to her closet and pulled out a dark blue dress and matching high heels. She set them on the bed and took a quick shower. She put the dress on and studied herself in the mirror. The tight fabric hugged her body perfectly, showing off her assets quite nicely. There was a slit on the left side that went all the way up her thigh, exposing her shaven leg.

She sighed. _This is way too fancy for the movie theater._ She slipped her dress off and hung it back up, putting the heels back as well. She sifted through her drawer, finding a cute, long, lime green blouse. She put it on, along with some light blue jeans and a black belt. She looked at herself in the mirror again. _Much better… and much more comfortable. _Parting her hair on the side, she brushed her hair and let it hang. She liked the simplicity of her look. She put her socks and black boots on and grabbed her purse and black jacket, ready to leave. She stopped herself and returned to the bathroom. _Almost forgot to take my contacts out. Or… should I leave them in? Hmm…_

She stood there staring at herself in the mirror. _I'll take them out._

* * *

She walked nonchalantly through the mall, making her way to the movie theater. From her apartment, it only had taken her ten minutes to get there on foot. It was nice to be within walking distance of everything. She was hoping that, by a chance, Kaiba and Mokuba hadn't gone in for the movie yet. It would be too difficult guessing at which movie they'd gone to see. _If only Mokuba had mentioned the movie they were seeing._

She went up to the ticket salesperson and stared at the display of all the movies playing. There was no way to decipher what theater they might be in. Giving up, she turned around and decided to sit at the food court for a while. As she made her way past the indoor merry-go-round, she spotted Kaiba waiting in line at a pizzeria. _Yes! They're eating first! Yes, yes, yes!_ Her heart flipped. She scanned the tables, locating Mokuba. There was an empty table right next to him. _All right, let's do this._

She got in line behind Kaiba, ordering a slice a pizza when her turn came. Innocuously following Kaiba to the table, she kept going when Kaiba stopped at Mokuba's chosen table. She sat in the table next to them, smiling sweetly when Mokuba looked at her. She took out a book to make it look like she was reading while she ate.

Pretending not to listen—but in reality listening quite intently—she heard Mokuba whisper, "Seto! That girl's really pretty!"

"Yeah, okay Mokuba." Kaiba replied, uninterested. She pouted inwardly.

"Seriously, Seto! Look at her! She's so pretty, I don't think even _you_ are in her league." Mokuba challenged. Zoë inwardly smirked. Mokuba really had a lot of faith in her.

His little brother's comment made him glance in her direction, but then he did a double-take. She really _was_ quite beautiful. The combination of brown hair with green eyes wasn't a common sight. The color of her shirt really brought out the color of her eyes and he was entranced. He couldn't take his eyes away from her.

Mokuba saw the double take and smiled proudly. He knew a pretty girl when he saw one and now he had his brother interested! _Maybe Seto can somehow get her to see a movie with us? But… what if she's waiting for someone? What if she's got a boyfriend already? _Mokuba shook his thoughts away. _Some boyfriend if she's sitting here alone and even had to pay for her own food. I don't think she would have brought a book if she was here with someone._

Kaiba cleared his throat. Usually that got other people's attentions. Zoë was having none of it. _I know what you're trying to do, Kaiba, and I'm not gonna make it that easy for you. _She heard him clear his throat again, only a little louder this time. She decided to play along. She reached into her purse and took out a cough drop. She then faced Kaiba and held out her hand.

"I noticed you seem to have some kind of sore throat. I have a cough drop if you'd like it." She smiled innocently, but inwardly, she was practicing her maniacal laugh.

Kaiba looked at her with mild surprise. Mokuba giggled at his brother's attempt at getting her attention. _She knows what she's doing._

"Oh, no. I'm fine. Thanks, though…" Kaiba didn't know what to do. Usually when girls heard him clearing his throat, they'd look at him and say 'omigawd, it's Kaiba' and then try to score a date with him, which he'd blatantly reject even if he had been the one to get her attention. But this girl didn't take his bait and instead made him look foolish. He looked at her again.

_Challenge accepted._

Smirking, he pretended to ignore her and continued eating. _Maybe ignoring you will get you riled up. No girl likes being ignored._ He watched her flip a page.

Five minutes later, she flipped another page. Kaiba finished eating and was sitting there, silently doing nothing. Mokuba was playing a game on his phone.

Five more minutes later, she flipped another page. Kaiba's foot was tapping impatiently, silently psyching himself out. Mokuba was playing a different game on his brother's phone.

Five more minutes later, she flipped another page. Kaiba was at a loss for what to do. Mokuba had gone back to playing a game on his own phone again.

Zoë then closed her book and put it away. She stood up, grabbing her tray, and went over to the garbage can, dumping her trash. She turned on her heel and headed over to the movie theater. She had decided to pick a random movie and take the chance it was the same Kaiba was seeing. Now that she thought about it, if Kaiba was close by when she picked the movie, she could influence his decision.

Behind her, he could hear loud whispering again. It was Mokuba.

"Seto, just ask her. Stop pretending you don't notice her just to get her attention. Reverse psychology isn't going to work on her!" She smirked. _Ya got that right, Mokuba._

"I know. I'm just not used to it not working." Seto admitted. "It's like she's not affected by the fact that I'm Seto Kaiba."

_Please, Kaiba. You're not __**that**__ irresistible. Jeez, you're so conceited, it almost turns me off. Seriously._

Kaiba suddenly appeared next to her. She pretended to be looking up at the movie times. There was only one movie starting at that time and she didn't feel like waiting around another hour for one of the other movies to start.

"What movie are you thinking about seeing?" Kaiba asked casually. It was a little odd to see _Seto Kaiba _making small talk.

She looked at him and answered, "Well, there's only one movie playing right now, so I guess I'm seeing The Hunger Games," she smiled, "which I've wanted to see for a while anyway."

_I didn't think it was possible, but she looks even more astonishing when she's smiling. Ugh! I've got to get over this… obsession! That's right. It's just a mild interest because she's so beautiful. That's all this is…_

"This may seem odd and out of the blue, but would you care to join us? My brother and I were going to watch that as well and we'd be honored if you'd accompany us."

_Why do you sound so formal? I'm just another girl._ Zoë pretended to think on it. "Okay." She nodded. "But please don't fall asleep. It's kind of annoying when the person you're watching a movie with falls asleep. It's like… you might as well have come by yourself. You know?"

For the first time since Mokuba could remember, his brother laughed sincerely. It even caught Zoë off-guard. She had never heard that sound from Kaiba.

He nodded and said, "Mokuba used to do that to me. I know how it feels." He chuckled. The sound was increasingly becoming Zoë's favorite sound. "Anyway, I'll buy. So don't worry about anything, all right?" Zoë paused.

"I'm fine. I can pay for myself. I'll feel like I owe you if you do that for me." She opened her purse and took out her debit card.

_Hm… usually anyone would be quick to just let me pay, but not her. I guess that means I can't flaunt my money to impress her either._ "Are you sure? At least let me pay for the movie and you can pay for your snack?" Kaiba offered.

"No. Sorry, I just like _not_ owing anyone anything. Besides, I can afford a mere _movie ticket_." Kaiba noticed the edge in her voice. He watched her small smile fade as she purchased her ticket. "Three for Hunger Games," she stated.

Kaiba's eyes widened. _Not only did she reject me, she paid for my ticket instead? _Kaiba watched her rip apart the tickets and hand one to Mokuba. He let a small smirk escape him when he saw the grin on her face._ You dare challenge me?_ He stared at her for a minute. _You remind me of that stupid Mutt._

"Why'd you pay for mine and Seto's tickets, too? You didn't have to do that—"

"Zoë," she interjected. "My name is Zoë." A smile painted on her face as she stared at the younger Kaiba. "It was just an act of generosity. It happens once in a while." She stood her full height and handed the elder brother his ticket. "You may as well take it and not complain. I know it might hurt your pride to have something of yours paid for by a girl, but now you know I don't need—or want—you to think you'll impress me with your money."

Kaiba raised his eyebrow in response. "And how would you know I have money to flourish in the first place?"

"Please," the girl rolled her eyes, "you may as well have a tattoo on your forehead saying 'I bathe in my own money.'" This made Mokuba giggle.

"Seto, just drop it. Get the food and move it. The movie's going to start and we're still out here!" Mokuba complained. His brother decided to take his advice and ordered nachos for both of them and a drink to share. Zoë followed suit, ordering a small bag of popcorn and drink.

They hurriedly entered the theater and found their seats.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, they were walking out the movie theater, a sleeping Mokuba being carried in Kaiba's arms. Kaiba looked down at his sleeping face, feeling both relieved and annoyed.

"Well so much for 'please don't fall asleep'. Mokuba was snoring within the first twenty minutes of the movie." He looked down at his brother. "What a waste of a ticket. I'll pay you back."

Zoë shook her head, chuckling. "Nah, it's fine. It was cute listening to his soft snores throughout the movie. Besides, a movie like that, he would probably have crazy nightmares for weeks." She smiled at the sleeping boy. _This was the weirdest three hours I've ever spent, but they'll be my fondest memories of you two before I leave._

They walked out to the parking lot.

"So, where are you parked? It's dark out now. I don't want you mugged on your way to your car, so I figured I'd… walk you to it." Kaiba suggested. It was weird hearing him be so… insecure. _She_ had done that to him. Neither of them realized they had started walking into the direction of the cars ahead.

Zoë waved him off. "I walked here. I'll be fine. It's only a ten-minute walk." She fixed her blouse in the back, which had ridden up a bit while she'd been in the theater's seat. _Besides, wouldn't want you finding out where I live._

"I can give you a ride home," Kaiba insisted. "Wouldn't want anything happening to a pretty girl like you." This made Zoë blush lightly. She quickly recovered, hoping Kaiba hadn't noticed. He hadn't. "Let me take you home. It would ease my mind."

_Hearing Kaiba be like this is so weird. I can never get used to it. It's like I defeated him. But now that she thought about it… rich neighborhoods were more of a target than poor ones were. _The girl sighed. "Fine, but only because I don't want you to feel indebted to me. This can be your payback." She smiled up at him.

"Deal." They approached Kaiba's 2013 Silver Toyota Camry. _For a rich guy, I was kind of expecting something more expensive. Like… a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW. I mean, I don't care what car I'm in, I just didn't expect richboy to have such a normal car._ She shrugged it off.

Kaiba loaded Mokuba's sleeping form into the backseat of the silver car. The two brunets got in and they drove off.

* * *

"Well… this is me." They were parked in front of one of the many condos on the small street. She lived in a park for condominiums that just so happened to be not far from Kaiba's street. Kaiba had actually been surprised she told him to go into ClearWater Condominiums. A part of him thought maybe she just didn't want him to know where she really lived so she gave him a fake address to this place to impress him. "Thanks for dropping me off. I'm sure it was out of your way. I'm sorry."

Before Kaiba could do or say anything, she opened the door and walked the small path to the door. The brunet stayed there, waiting. He was sure she would think he was making sure she was in before leaving, but he wanted her to be making it up that she lived here.

The front door opened and she turned back around and gave a small wave to him before going in and shutting the door. Seeing that she really did live here, he made note to remember the address and quickly got out of the car. He ran up to the door and rang the doorbell. It wasn't too late that the noise would bother anyone so he figured it was okay.

Zoë's face appeared again as she opened the door she'd just closed. "Kaiba?" Clearly surprised, she opened the door further, her eyes questioning him.

There was just something about her that made him lose all of those years of coldness and he wanted to keep her around just because of that. He couldn't just let her out of his life after today. He took out his cell phone from his pocket.

"Can I get your phone number?" He asked, not looking up at her but rather down at his phone as he prepared it to enter a new contact.

Zoë couldn't help but smirk. She covered it right away, but the fact that Seto Kaiba, the man that hated her male alter ego, wanted her phone number. _Oh, Kaiba, you wouldn't be asking for my number if you knew who I've been pretending to be.  
_

"Yeah, okay. It was a nice evening with you and you're interesting to talk to. I suppose you can have my number so you can call me whenever you feel like having an intelligent conversation." She giggled at herself. "My number is XXX-XXX-XXXX. Hit me up anytime you like. Except for during school hours," she added.

"School? What school do you go to? I don't think I've seen you at Domino High." Kaiba asked as he entered the number she'd given him into his phone. He pressed send.

She internally kicked herself for the slip-up. "Oh… uhh… well, I don't… I go to… Domino Academy of the Arts." At least it wasn't a lie. She did go there, just not during school hours. Her phone vibrated as she received a text message. She opened it and saw Kaiba's message. It was a smiley face. She saved his number and waited for him to respond.

Kaiba looked pensive. "I see. What do you do there?"

She just decided to answer truthfully. "I sing and play the guitar. Or at least… I'm learning to play the guitar."

"How's that going?"

"Pretty good. I'm learning to sing and play at the same time. It's a lot harder than I initially thought, but practice makes perfect." She smiled. "Well, I should go take a shower and get ready for bed." She looked at the time on her phone. "It's past 10. School tomorrow."

"Okay. Nice meeting you, Zoë…?"

"Taylor."

"Nice meeting you Zoë Taylor." Kaiba turned and headed for his car. "Seto Kaiba. But you already know that." He said, not turning to face her. She smiled and backed away, closing the door slowly.

Today had turned out more interesting than she ever would have thought. _Especially the way Kaiba acted around me. It was so unlike him, I'm not even sure it was him. I sort of think the way I acted around him forced him into being… normal. Well, at least I know he likes me. Too bad I'm going away in a few months for my singing career. I'll finally be able to stop being Joey Wheeler._

She walked to her room and stared at herself in the mirror. _Four years and it hasn't been obvious._


End file.
